The No. 2 chiller - an arbitrary designation - broke down two weeks ago, leaving the No. 1 chiller with no backup. When both were operational, they would run alternately every two or three days, depending on the events schedule, said arena chief engineer Eddie Rhodes.

The engineering analysis, from Johnson, Laschober & Associates, will be ready by the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority's June 25 meeting, engineer Steven Petersen said. The board will then solicit and choose a proposal, and it will take eight to 10 weeks after that to manufacture and install the unit.

That means the No. 1 chiller will have to run without a backup for three months straight, and there's no telling whether the 22-year-old unit will hold up, Mr. Petersen said.

"With a chiller this old, it could last another five years or it could last a month," he said.

If it does break down, a temporary unit could be installed in about two days, Mr. Rhodes said.

The chillers run only when there is an event in the building, said General Manager Reggie Williams, and as this is a slow time of year, the remaining chiller will not have to run everyday.

Replacement costs are expected to be near $280,000, said Bill Maddox, the authority chairman. The money would come out of the repairs fund, which has about $680,000 for the rest of the year.

Board members Billy Holden, Fred Reed and Jack Usry pushed hard to make a decision Thursday, arguing that the situation is an emergency and three companies have submitted adequate proposals.

Other members were worried that, without an independent engineering analysis, they might buy an ill-suited chiller.

"Some people just wanted to cover themselves in case something goes wrong," Mr. Holden said. "Let's just hope the other (chiller) doesn't break."

"With a chiller this old, it could last another five years or it could last a month." - Steven Petersen, an engineer for Johnson, Laschober & Associates, on the remaining unit

Reach John Bankston at (706) 823-3352 or john.banks@augustachronicle.com.